Furnace for treating ores



Dec. 4, 1928.

F. M. SIMONDS l FURNACE FOR TREATING oREs Filed Oct. 26, 1926 VENTOR ATFORNEY @dented Dec. 4,- i928.'

f. 'their FRA'GS M. SMNDS, NEW YORK, lil. Y.

,1 y, i' FURNAGE FOR TREATIIG'G? CRES.

AApplication led'ictober 26,1926. Serial No. 144,385.

-ln my pending application for United States aatent Serial Number 135 /l'VlO `filed 7 Y 7 1 :1. September 14th, 192), i have descrioed and claimed a novelform of furnace for the i V5 treatment of ore 4wherein a perforated hearth is in combination with means for supplying heated gases underpressure in such a manner that they pass upward through the hearth and act upon the comminuted ore mass on thehearth to cause it to travel continuously through the apparatus ancL along the hearth. The process and apparatus forming the broad subject matter of the invention whereby this is accomplished are described and claimed in said earlier patent application. The present invention relates to an improved form of hearth for use in furnaces analogous to that set forth in my said earlier application. i

Broadly stated, the hearth forming the subject matter of the present invention differs from that described in my fo 1mer application in that, instead of delivering the gases under` pressure to move the ore upward through that portion of the hearth that actually supports the ore, l form my hearth in Vsuccessive sections each comprising a supporting portionand a more or less upright Y perforate confining wall. Each supporting 30 portionof the successive hearth sections eX- tends'from the bottom ofone perforate con- .ining wall to the top of the next; so that, `as the body of ore advances it falls from one wedge-shaped space to another. This promotes adequate agitation and insures subjecting every particle'of comminuted material to the action of the hot gases.

As described in my aforesaid earlier application, I prefer to construct a long and relatively narrow hearth .along which the comminuted ore is caused to travel, and under it to provide a series of wedge-shaped chambers, widening upward, into which the gases are forced and through which they find their way to the under side of the hearth; lf desired, all or part of the combination whereby the gases are heated may take place in these chambers.

In the accompanying drawing lv have shown in longitudinal section the preferred structure of my improved hearth, in "connection with a single gas supply chamber. t will be understoodthat this principle ofrconstruction is repeated as often as necessary to obtain the totallength of furnace desired in any instance.

ln the accompanying drawing the opposite successive refractory confining walls of ione of the preliminary gasfreceiving chainbers are shown at l() and ll respectively; it being understood that the wall l0 is nearer the point where the ore mass is fed upon the hearth Ythan the wall ll. In other words, the comminuted ore is supposed to move from right to left in the figure of drawing.

ln the particular device illustrated there are four hearth sections in a single span from the wall l0V to the wall 11, each affording a wedge shaped pocket for the comminuted ore indicated at l2: Of course, any convenient number of suon sect-ions might be used in each spa-n without departing from my invention.

ln the form shown, each section or pocket is formed by a more or less upright limiting wall 13, provided with perforations lil, and an imperforate floor l5 which slopes gently upward from the bottom of its own perforated wall to the top of the next.

The steepness of the angle formed by each floor section l5 with the horizontal maybe .indefinitely varied, as may the proportions all the parts shown. ln the specific device shown, the hearth as a whole conforms generally to the horizontal, but this is not essential.

As indicated by the arrows in the drawing,

`gases under pressure, either preheated or allowed to burn within the spaces between the walls l0 and ll, are forced through the perforationslet in the walls 13, and, while acting chemically to roast or smelt the ore l2, they act to blow it forward and along the hearth. Thus crude ore may be fed in at one end and be continuously treated' as it passes along the step-shaped hearth, until dis charged at the opposite end fully treated. As clearly set forth in my aforesaid earlier application, gases of different natures as to temperature, pressure, chemical constitution or otherwise may be supplied at different successive parts of the hearth. This'will, of course, depend upon what treatment it is found bestA to apply to the particular ore in hand.

- At 16 is shown an asbestos iltering layer just above the ore, dividing it from the passage 17, under the refractory roof 18, through which passage the gases are drawn olf, after acting on the ore, as described in my earlier application. These elements form no partof the present invention.

that I claim isl. A furnace having a hearth formed in sections each of which comprises a Hoor and e perforate confining Wzl-11 et one end thereof forming en angle with said Hoor.

2. A furnace as in claim l wherein en@ Cessve gas supply chambers are provided under the hearth'adapted to Supply gas under pressure to the perforatons n the oonfmng Wells.

3. A furnace as in claim l wherein the `floor of each Section extends from the bottom or one confining wall to the top or the next.'

4. A furnace ae in claim l wherein each floor section slopes upward from the bottom of che Voori-espending connng Wel.

5. A furnace having a hearth composed of a series of pockets und means for admitting gas under pressure to the end of each pocket, whereby movement of ore along the hearth may he promoted. Y

n testimony whereof have hereto affixed my signature on this 18thV day of September7 1926. f Y

FRAN @1S M. SHf/GNDS. 

